A complete electronic musical system should have both a means of composing professional music with little or no training, and a means of performing music, whether live or along with a previously recorded track, with little or no training, while still maintaining the highest levels of creativity and interaction in both composition and performance.
Methods of composing music on an electronic instrument are known, and may be classified in either of two ways: (1) a method in which automatic chord progressions are generated by depression of a key or keys (for example, Cotton Jr., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,437), or by generating a suitable chord progression after a melody is given by a user (for example, Minamitaka, U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,153); (2) a method in which a plurality of note tables is used for MIDI note-identifying information, and is selected in response to a user command (for example, Hotz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,738); and (3) a method in which one-finger chords can be produced in real-time (for example, Aoki, U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,916).
The first method of composition involves generating pre-sequenced or preprogrammed accompaniment. This automatic method of composition lacks the creativity necessary to compose music with the freedom and expression of a trained musician. This method dictates a preprogrammed accompaniment without user selectable modifications in real-time, either during composition or performance.
The second method of composition does not allow for all of the various note groups and/or features needed to initiate professional performance, with little or no training. The present invention allows any and all needed performance notes and/or note groups to be generated on-the-fly, providing many advantages. Any note or group of notes can be auto-corrected during performance according to specific note data or note group data, thus preventing incorrect notes from playing over the various chord and/or scale changes. Every possible combination of harmonies, non-scale note groups, scale note groups, combined scale note groups, chord groups, chord inversions/voicings, note ordering, note group setups, and instrument setups are accessible at any time, using only the current trigger status message, and/or other current triggers described herein, such as those which can be used for experimentation with chord and/or scale changes. This allows any new part to be added at any time, and musical data can be transferred between various instruments for unlimited compatibility and flexibility during composition and/or performance. The present invention also allows musically-correct one-finger chords, as well as individual chord notes, to be triggered with full expression from the chord progression section while providing a user with indicators for playing specific chord progressions, in a variety of song keys.
The third method of composition allows a user to trigger one-finger chords in real-time, thus allowing a user some creative control over which chord progression is actually formed. Although this method has the potential to become an adequate method of composition, it currently falls short in several aspects. There are five distinct needs which must be met, before a person with little or no musical training can effectively compose a complete piece of music with total creative control, just as a trained musician would. Any series of notes and/or note groups can be provided to a user as needed, utilizing only one set of triggers. This allows for unlimited system flexibility during composition and/or performance:
(1) A means is needed for assigning a particular section of a musical instrument as a chord progression section in which individual chords and/or chord notes can be triggered in real-time with one or more fingers. Further, the instrument should provide a means for dividing this chord progression section into particular song keys, and providing indicators so that a user understands the relative position of the chord in the predetermined song key. For example a song in the key of E Major defines a chord progression 1-4-5, as described more fully below.
Shimaya, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,966, teaches a designated chord progression section, but the chord progression section disclosed in Shimaya follows the chromatic progression of the keyboard, from C to B. Shimaya provides no allowance for dividing this chord progression section into particular song keys and scales. One of the most basic tools of a composer is the freedom to compose in a selected key. Another basic tool allows a musician to compose using specific chord progressions based on song key. As in the previous example, when composing a song in the key of E Major, the musician should be permitted to play a chord progression of 1-4-5-6-2-7-3, or any other progression chosen by the musician. The indicators provided by the present invention may also indicate relative positions in the customary scale and/or customary scale equivalent of a selected song key, thus eliminating the confusion between major song keys and their relative minor equivalents.
In our culture's music, there are thousands of songs based on a simple 1-4-5 chord progression. Yet, most people with little or no musical training, and using known systems and methods, have no concept of the meaning of a musical key or a chord progression. The present invention also allows for the use of chromatics at the discretion of a user. The inexperienced composer who uses the present invention is made fully aware at all times of what he is actually playing, therefore allowing "non-scale" chromatic chords to be added by choice, not just added unknowingly.
(2) There also remains a need for a musical instrument that provides a user the option to play chords with one or more fingers in the chord progression section as previously described, while the individual notes of the currently triggered chord are simultaneously made available for playing in separate fixed chord locations on the instrument. Individual notes can be sounded in different octaves when played. Regardless of the different chords which are being played in the chord progression section, the individual notes of each currently triggered chord can be made available for playing in these same fixed chord location(s) on the instrument in real-time. The fundamental note and the alternate note of the chord can be made available in their own fixed locations for composing purposes, and chord notes can be reconfigured in any way in real-time for unlimited system flexibility.
This fixed chord location feature of the present invention allows a user with little or no musical training to properly compose a complete music piece. For example, by specifying this fixed chord location, and identifying or indicating the fundamental note and alternate note locations of each chord, a user can easily compose entire basslines, arpeggios, and specific chord harmonies with no musical training, while maintaining complete creative control.
(3) There also remains a need for a way to trigger chords with one or more fingers in the chord progression section, while scale notes and/or non-scale notes are simultaneously made available for playing in separate fixed locations on the instrument. These scale notes and/or non-scale notes can also be played in different octaves. This method of malting scale and/or non-scale notes available for playing from fixed locations on the instrument allows unlimited real-time system flexibility, during both composition and/or re-performance playback.
(4) There also remains a need for a way to trigger chords with one or more fingers in the chord progression section, while the entire chord is simultaneously made available for playing from one or more keys in a separate fixed location, and can be sounded in different octaves when played. This feature allows a user to play right hand chords, inversions, the root position of a chord, and popular voicing of a chord at any time a user chooses and with dramatically reduced physical skill, yet retains the creativity and flexibility of a trained musician.
(5) Finally, there needs to be a means for adding to or modifying a composition once a basic progression and melody are decided upon and recorded by a user. A user with little or no musical training is thus able to add additional musically correct parts and/or non-scale parts to the composition, to remove portions of the composition that were previously recorded, or to simply modify the composition in accordance with the taste of the musician. The methods of the present invention allow any note, series of notes, harmonies, note groups, chord voicings, inversions, instrument configurations, etc. to be accessible at any time by a user to achieve professional composition and/or re-performance results.
Techniques for automating the performance of music on an electronic instrument are well known. They primarily involve the use of indication systems. These indication systems display to a user the notes to play on an instrument in order to achieve the desired performance. These techniques are primarily used as teaching aids of traditional music theory and performance (e.g., Shaffer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,735). These current methods provide high tech "cheat sheets". A user must follow along to an indication system and play all chords, notes, and scales just as a trained musician would. These methods do nothing to actually reduce the demanding physical skills required to perform the music, while still allowing the user to maintain creative control. Other performance techniques known in the art allow a song to be "stepped through" by pressing one or more input controllers multiple times. These are unduly limited in the fact that very little user interaction is achieved. Others allow a song to be stepped through with no means of reducing the complexity of the performance, or allowing the levels of creative control as described herein. These techniques are unduly limited and do not take into account the need for improvisational ability, system flexibility, and multiple skill levels in a given performance. All of the previously said needs must be met in order to provide professional performance results. The present invention takes into account these needs. The present invention allows a given performance to be effected using a varied number of input controllers, meaning that the given performance may be effected from any of a variety of different input controller pluralities. Indications are utilized to accomplish this. The methods of the present invention allow a user to improvise in a given performance with complete creative control, and with no training required. Different skill levels may be utilized to provide different levels of user interaction. A user may control a performance based on the rate at which a user performs one or more indicated notes and/or chords. This provides complete creative control over a given performance. Indications may also be displayed at a designated tempo. The fixed location methods of the present invention allow all appropriate notes, note groups, one-finger chords, and harmonies to be made available to a user from fixed locations on the instrument. This reduces the amount of physical skill needed to perform music. A user with little or no musical training can effectively perform music while maintaining the high level of creativity and interaction of a trained musician. Increased system flexibility is also provided due to all of the various notes, note groups, setup configurations, harmonies, etc. that are accessible to a user at any time.
It is a further object of the present invention to complete the system by allowing multiple instruments of the present invention to be effectively utilized together. This will allow interactive composition and/or performance among multiple users, with no need for knowledge of music theory. The highest levels of creativity and flexibility are maintained. Users may perform together utilizing instruments connected directly into one other, connected through the use of an external processor or processors, connected over a network, or through various combinations of these. Multiple users may each select a specific performance part or parts to perform, in order to cumulatively effect an entire performance simultaneously.